A clever engineer found a way to modify the AirPods Pro charging case to add a functional USB-C port.
In an effort to fix the problems plaguing the repairability of the AirPods Pro , hardware prototyping consultant Ken Pillonel created a 3D-printed housing and replaced the Lightning charging port with a USB-C port .
Enthusiastic engineer and YouTuber Ken Pillonel recently modified the AirPods Proto replace the proprietary Lightning with USB-C. He's previously made similar changes to the iPhone X, as well as the non-Pro AirPods. The designs for the new case will be freely available on GitHub, just like his previous projects—but this time he's going a step further, offering custom boards for sale so more people can try this mod out for themselves!
In his new video, Pillonel said that the AirPods Pro are not repairable or repairable due to the difficulty of opening the charging case without damaging it. iFixit gave all three generations of AirPods a repairability score of zero out of 10 for this reason. While he noted that trying to open the AirPods Pro charging case is still much simpler than with standard AirPods, success here is not guaranteed and damage can occur with any attempt.
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Pillonel ,after developing a similar solution for the AirPods , decided to create a new one that would breathe new life into the AirPods Pro's. These types of cases are now facing inevitable obsolescence due to their three built-in batteries. Pillonel created a downloadable 3D-printed replacement housing to allow technicians to open the existing case and gain access to its internals in order to repair it.
While replacement batteries for the AirPods Pro are available online, replacement Lightning. This poses a problem because if the Lightning breaks, it can only be replaced by taking it from another working AirPods — which isn’t always an option for techies. To solve this problem, Pillonel now offers a ready-to-install USB-C port with integrated circuitry that replaces the old Lightning on the AirPods Pro.
The addition of a USB-C port to the AirPods Pro , thanks to Pillonel 's expertise and insight , not only increases the long-term repairability prospects, but also demonstrates its success in similar modifications, such as adding a USB-C port to an iPhone or a Lightning port to the Samsung Galaxy A51 .
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Pillonel emailed The Verge to say that his mod is only compatible with the original AirPods Pro , not the latest version. Luckily, it can be used with both MagSafe and non- MagSafe charging cases for the first-generation headphones!
In 2024, EU law will require Apple to move all new AirPods models to USB-C . Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that after the first iPhone with a USB-C port is released this year, we could see Apple make this change a little later. Last year's Self Service Repair program was Apple 's attempt to address criticism surrounding the repairability issues of its devices, but there are still doubts about whether something like the AirPods is sustainable in the long term.
Source: macrumors.com
